Midnight Racers
by animegirl2121
Summary: Aoshi x Misao [AU] Aoshi, a student by day and a street racer by night, is drawn to a mysterious girl that he sees during a race... CHAPTER 3
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry!  I had to change a few things that didn't match… this is just a repost, but thank you very much for the supportive reviews so far!

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

A/N: Well, I started another story.  I'm sorry for not updating 'Fragmented Dreams,' but I'm kinda stuck…  I've written the ending, but there's not really any transition from where I left it and where I began the ending.  Anyways, I hope you all like this story; it's my first try at an alternate universe… Enjoy!

**Midnight Racers**

Chapter 1 

            Aoshi woke up slowly, blinking his eyes several times to focus the blurry images in his room.  His small, two-room apartment was messy and unkempt, which was extremely unusual for him—he was normally very neat and orderly.  He rubbed his eyes as he headed towards the bathroom to take a quick, cold shower and prepare for the _long_ day ahead.

~*~

Sunlight streamed through the windows of an expansive bedroom and warmed it considerably, shining directly on the matching furniture that decorated the room. Misao lay in bed for several more minutes, savoring the warmth emanating from the down cover and flannel sheets.  Despite the fact that it was winter, the sun was shining and she could tell that today would be warm and windy.  

            She groaned as she flipped the covers off and swung her legs over the side of her large, queen-sized bed, her feet not quite reaching the ground.  Misao stumbled towards the bathroom, which adjoined her own room, sparing a brief glance at her alarm clock set on her mahogany nightstand.

            The black marble tiles of the bathroom gleamed brightly in the sunlight beams that shone down from the skylight overhead.  Misao bent over one of the two sinks on the long counter, reaching over to turn a crystal knob that sent icy water splashing out of the chrome faucet.  She quickly washed up and headed towards the shower, wondering what she would do that day.

~*~

            The Aoiya, a prominent restaurant in Malibu, California, was a first-class place for Japanese fine dining that overlooked the Pacific Ocean and was frequented by the local celebrities in the area.  Its only owner, Kashiwazaki Nenji, or Okina as most people knew him by, was a doting grandfather of the only family he had left—Makimachi Misao.  She wasn't exactly spoiled, but she didn't need anything.  Ever.  

Misao was 21 years old and completely finished with college.  She had started early and graduated the prior year, but was still unsure what to do with a Bachelor in Business.  The only thing that seemed logical was to take over the Aoiya once she inherited it, but that **definitely** would not be for a while.

Aside from training, the greatest joy Misao found in life was the only thing she had bought herself.  The sole purpose of her getting a job—her bright yellow BMW M3 that purred like a kitten and raced like a demon.  She had purchased it herself and refused to allow anyone else to work on it.  Misao worked hard at keeping the Aoiya's files and records in order—which wasn't as difficult as it sounded—which left her with plenty of time to do what she wanted.

That night, there was a race going in L.A., which Misao was going to be a part of.  She didn't race for the money, obviously, but for the adrenaline drive and the rush of excitement that always left her breathless.  

~*~

            Aoshi was exhausted.  He had had a tiring day at work, which always left him feeling empty and drained, mentally and physically.  The pride and joy of Aoshi's life was his only love—his smooth-running, completely clean, black Skyline with a blue and black interior.  Aoshi had worked many days, long and hard, in order to import his car and keep it beautiful.  

            Despite the taxing day at work, he was always up for a good race, which was going down later that night.  He had been hearing some rumors lately about a yellow Silvia that had been winning the races as of late.  It seemed that every race he didn't go to, it appeared.  He was quite intrigued by a possible challenge; there had been very few recently that actually got him excited anymore.

~*~

            Aoshi pulled up the designated street in downtown Los Angeles, fixed up cars almost everywhere one looked.  He slowly cruised down the boulevard as the crowds parted, making way for the almost legendary undefeated driver.  Aoshi eased his ebony car to a slow stop, the blue underlight vanishing as he cut the engine.  Aoshi stepped out dressed in a tight black shirt and blue jeans, shutting the door behind him, looking around at the competition.  Scantily clad women eyed him desirously, but he ignored their blatant stares, checking out the other cars.

            A yellow car caught his eye immediately.  Or perhaps it was the woman leaning casually on the hood, looking coolly about.  Their eyes met, jade green clashing with steely blue, and Aoshi was stunned.  He felt electricity running through his body just looking at the woman in black and continued to stare at her.

            She completely stood up slowly, never breaking eye contact with Aoshi.  The corners of her ruby lips turned up and a sultry smile appeared as she stretched her arms slowly.  The palms of Aoshi's hands began to sweat, which was odd because a woman had **never** made him this nervous.  Aoshi continued to watch her as she stopped stretching and rotated her shoulders once and got into her car.  

            Almost immediately after, Aoshi got into his own car, starting it up.  The girl has already started her car up, revving the engine slowly but loudly, almost purposely directed at him.  Aoshi raced after her as she sped out of the crowds, suddenly losing any interest in the race.

A/N:  How was it?  I hope everyone liked it…  I'm just experimenting with ideas and stuff, so please review!


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

**Midnight Racers**

**Chapter 2**

'So… bored…'  Aoshi sat in his first class that day, spinning his pencil languidly at 8:30 AM, thinking back to late last night as the teacher droned on.

He had chased the yellow M3 all the way to the freeway, where the girl had sped off, but slowed down for him to catch up, taunting him.  The corners of his mouth quirked upward at the thought, oblivious to his present surroundings.  He had lost the girl eventually, unsure where she went because a CHP (California Highway Patrol… ^_^) had come up and decided to drive behind him _the entire way_ to his exit.  

He got home late that night, and had to finish a couple of reports, which left him with three hours of sleep and a following day of four **long** classes.  

Well, there was another race in a few days, maybe _she_ would turn up again… And this time, he would talk to her…

~*~

Misao stretched her arms, linking them behind her back and pulling them upwards as she leaned forward.  'I am so sick of all this work!!' she thought, standing up and walking towards the main dining room of the Aoiya.  "Jiya!!" she yelled in the empty restaurant, "Where are you?!  I am **so** sick of looking at numbers!  It's too early!  And plus, if you want **me** to bring Okon her birthday lunch, I **think** I should get to leave early!"

"Misao!  Stop yelling!  Are you trying to scare away customers?!" Jiya suddenly appeared, trying his hardest to look stern.  "But…" he thought out loud, "You have been working all morning…  Hmm."

"Please!" Misao whined, trying to give him her best puppy eyes look, "Okon must be starving, and it's her birthday!"

"All right, just make sure you're back later in time for her dinner tonight, ok?"

"All right!!" Misao shouted ecstatically as she grabbed her keys and rushed out the door to meet Okon, her best friend and cousin.

~*~

The bell had just rang at the University of California - Los Angeles and many classes were getting out as others were starting.  Misao pulled up into the parking lot, trying to remember which class her cousin had just gotten out of.  'Eto… what class was it…' Misao sat in her car with the window open, thinking hard.  "Political Science!" she shouted suddenly, startling a woman opening her car next to her.

Okon was majoring in Political Science and was working to become a lawyer as she went to graduate school at UCLA.  Misao always found Okon's work boring and uninteresting, but she constantly supported her nonetheless.

Misao opened up her door and hopped out, pressing a button on her keys to lock it.  She looked around confusedly, wondering where to go next.  She had been to the UCLA campus a few times before, so she decided to head towards the library, where Okon usually went after class… she had said something about a guy, but it had never interested Misao.

~*~

Twenty minutes later found Misao wandering around the campus, still looking for the library.  If she didn't hurry, she wouldn't be able to catch Okon.  She looked around again, looking for someone who seemed nice enough to help her.

Finally she gave in unhappily, and reached for her cell phone to call Okon.  "So much for a surprise…" she muttered as her phone called Okon's.  She sat down on a bench near a patch of grass and waited, listening to the phone ring until she heard Okon's voicemail.

"AGH!!" she shouted, frightening away a group of birds when someone put their hands over her eyes.  She had been taught kendo by her grandfather and was definitely _not _afraid to use it.

"Misao-chan!" 

"Okon?" A pause.  "Okon!!!  Happy birthday!!"  Misao jumped off the bench and hugged Okon, her disposition changing quickly as she smiled, happy to see her cousin.  "Look!!  I came to take you to lunch," Misao grinned happily, "Let's go!"

"Great!  Oh, Misao!  Do you remember how I was telling you about that one guy, Aoshi Shinomori?" Okon said after glancing around quickly, apparently looking for someone.

"Aoshi Shinomori?" Misao repeated dully, not remembering at all.  "Umm…sure?" Misao replied hesitantly.

"Misao!"

"What?!"

"_Anyways_, he's coming over to the Aoiya for dinner… I asked him to come a few days ago, and he told me today that he wasn't doing anything tonight!"  A blank look from Misao made Okon pause, extremely irritated, "Misao.  He's coming to the party!"

"And?"

"I like him!  I bet you will too!  He's really polite, nice, _very_ good looking—" 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Misao waved her had nonchalantly, hardly listening to Okon as she prattled on about this Aoshi guy.  All Misao wanted was a **nice** boy that liked to race.  ^_^

~*~

Misao slipped on a new dress that she had bought specifically for this occasion.  Okon said the shimmering green brought out her eyes, and since the party was formal, Misao decided that the strapless, deep green dress was perfect for the dinner.

The party had been set up since that afternoon while Okon was with Misao shopping, so all Misao had to do when she got home was get dressed.  Okon had been ready since they got home and was practically running around the main room of the restaurant, eagerly awaiting arrivals like a child and calling Misao incessantly, telling her to hurry up.

Misao exited her room after looking over herself quickly, walking quickly downstairs, where a chauffeur would take her to the Aoiya.  Misao stepped into the black door of the sleek limousine, the driver taking her directly to the Aoiya in 10 minutes.

~*~

He stepped out of his car, reluctantly handing his keys to his Skyline to the valet.  He didn't say anything, but looked at his car slowly, then turned at looked at the valet.  The young boy quailed and nodded as if Aoshi had said something, walked slowly to the right side of the car (A/N: Right side because it's imported), opening the door slowly as Aoshi's attention was drawn from his own car to a glossy limousine that had just pulled up behind his car.

The chauffeur got out and opened the door for the person inside.  Aoshi's eyes slightly widened as a **long**, creamy white leg stepped out, the leg belonging to…  Aoshi's thoughts trailed away as **she** stepped out, smoothing out her low cut, strapless dress lazily, brushing away invisible specks of dust.

The second their eyes connected, Aoshi's heart began pounding in his chest rapidly as he looked away hastily, walking to the entrance, trying to get there before her so he wouldn't have to say anything, his confidence waning quickly.

The moment he opened the door, Aoshi was greeted excitedly by an even more excited Okon.  "Aoshi!  I'm so glad you could make it!" she said happily, just as Misao walked in, barely brushing Aoshi's sleeve as she slipped by, her composition denying recognizing him… Denying the turmoil and confusion within herself at him and Okon…

A/N:  Wow!  Such a positive response!  I'm glad that people found this idea interesting... I'll try to keep you all happy!  All right…  I am kinda unsure where to go with this, and I was pretty unsatisfied with this chapter, but any ideas are welcome!  Oh, and if anyone was wondering why Misao is done with college and Aoshi is not (or if no one was wondering… ^_^), it's because Misao has a Bachelor (4 years) and Aoshi is going to school for an extra two years, so basically, they are the same age.  

Thanks very much to: **unique-starfish, me, kitty-jinxx, yume no naka, romiross, vena A.K.A katrina-chan, Dana Daidouji, Suki, ~sTrAwBeRrY~ **(to answer your question, I'm not quite sure if I should put in other RK characters… if I do, who do you think I should?)**, Namiko-Daughter of Sekhmet, LuckySpirit** (yeah, I'm pretty into cars...  ^_^)**,** **Sakura Star **(if I do put in other RK chracters, who do you think I should put in?)**, Silverstar, dusk-angel, BGR, Ameea.Y, sOfAaNdAnImE** (yeah, the girl is Misao ^_^)**, **and **ThiMonkey**

Next chapter:  Racing!

Please review!****


	3. Chapter 3 Part A

I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

A/N:  Please note that this is the first part of the chapter!

**Midnight Racers**

**Chapter 3 – Part A**

Aoshi watched the green-eyed beauty all night from a far-off fern that was placed at the junction of a panel of breathtaking French door and the white walls of the very elegant Aoiya. He spied on her as inconspicuously as his position could allow, watching her flutter from crowd to crowd, blending in perfectly as she charmed just about every single, and sometimes not, man in the crowd.  She was definitely a social butterfly, and he could barely keep himself from striding up to her and asking her to dance.

The gala that he was attending, held in honor of one of his classmates, Okon, was far too upper class for him—he thought he had spied some movie stars located on the beach not too far from the restaurant.  He didn't know anyone, save Okon, but she was obviously being detained by many of her other acquaintances. 

He felt starkly out of place, and sought refuge outside on the pristine marbled balcony, skillfully avoiding waiters at hand that offering him liquor, regardless of what his driver's license permitted.  He reached up, gently tugging his collar away from his neck and loosened his tie as he gave one last look at Okon, and walked through the open doorway.

The air indoors had been far too stifling for him, despite the air conditioning.  He felt smothered inside, caged almost with all those other people who were obviously not concerned with the same issues as himself.

As soon as he had stepped outside the French doors and onto the massive balcony, his eyes were drawn to the lone figure standing at the edge, her palms resting lightly on the spotless baluster.  Her slender form was outlined against the soft moonlight pouring down, in spite of the glaring lights from inside.  She stood up straight with perfect posture, most likely due to her lack of stature, and her hair was up in a messy, yet elegant, bun on the top of her head, while her deep green dress almost looked black in the night.

She seemed ignorant to the party going on inside, almost bored by the people and the atmosphere.  She stared straight ahead at the murky ocean far off, feeling restless.  She turned sideways slowly and looked at her hands, silently debating whether to return to the party or stay outside in the crisp night air.

As the moon shined down onto her pearly skin and the golf course between Misao and the ocean, Aoshi felt himself taking steps forward, his heels making soft tapping sounds as they moved of their own volition towards the beautiful woman in front of him.

-----------------------------

Misao looked up sharply at the intruder of her peace, allowing no recognition to come to her eyes as the blue-eyed strange approached her.  He came and stopped a few feet away from her, silhouetted by the light shining through the glass doors, as soft piano music filtered through the general chatter coming from indoors.

He spoke, softly but with a **definite** tone of masculinity. 

"Excuse me, but have we met somewhere before?"

-----------------------------

Aoshi was painfully aware of the banality of what he has just said, as he waited awkwardly for her response, his words still hanging in the air.  He voiced his awareness of the overused line he had just used.  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to sound like a pick up line…"

His voice trailed of as the woman stared at him, studying his features carefully as she weighed her next words. 

"No.  I don't think we have ever met."  She finished with a terse note and turned to walk inside, hoping desperately that Okon had not seen them talking as Aoshi stood immobile, watching her return to the lively party inside.

-----------------------------

Aoshi was more than angry.  He was pissed off.  Irritable could hardly describe his mood as he sat in class.  Every unwarranted sound and slight motion made him want to break something.

As soon as the professor had stopped talking, Aoshi stood up, exiting the classroom as his classmates watched him go, including Okon.  She wondered what was wrong with him.  He had come to her party the night before, but left without her knowing and before she had the chance to say goodbye.  Okon couldn't help but hope that his sudden departure from her party was the cause of his apparent frustration and bitterness. 

-----------------------------

Misao was still lying in bed, despite the late hour.  Her digital clock on her nightstand read in flashing red numbers and letters, 3:15 PM.

She couldn't summon the strength to get up, the previous night taking a lot out of her.  After that man had asked if they had previously met, she went inside, trying her hardest to mingle and make new acquaintances, drinking all the while.  That was partly the cause of her late sleeping; she had a pounding headache that made her temples throb every time she made a sudden movement.  The other half of the cause was _that_ man. 

She could definitely remember him, even though they hadn't been introduced properly.  She could still picture him, dressed in casual blue jeans and a form-fitting black T-shirt, which absolutely fitted his form; she could see his abs outlined slightly and his very muscular arms, though he wasn't overly muscular, unlike some guys she knew.

Finally, Misao deemed it was time to get up.  She yawned once, braving the headache that threatened to send her back to bed.  She washed up, turning on the shower as she brushed her teeth and hopped into the shower.  Maybe she would have a quick bite to eat, then hit the gym after her stomach had settled.

-----------------------------

Once Aoshi had finished work, he flipped open his cell phone, checking to see missed calls.  Only one.  His phone read "Okon" in bold letters.  He almost felt sorry for her; it was clear that she harbored some sort of affection and interest for him, but unfortunately, that feeling was not mutual, and he wasn't looking for anything right now.  Except for one.

Aoshi clenched his fists, snapping his phone shut as he walked to his car.  How could she not have recognized him?!  He was quite sure that the woman at the race and Okon's cousin were one and the same, and, although it piqued his interest that she had denied recognization, he was more than frustrated that she would deny him and then walk away. 

There was only one cure for his frustration.

-----------------------------

Misao had finished working out, gone home and showered, then headed out again.  She was ready to race.  Her mind had been lingering on that dark-haired stranger and she knew, deep down, that she wanted to meet him again.  She hadn't meant to seem so cold at the party, it was just that had Okon seen them interact familiarly, she would have gotten jealous due to the fact that her previous boyfriend had been stolen by none other than her previous best friend.

Misao sighed, leaning back on her leather seat as she cruised out of Malibu, relaxing as she slowly stepped down on the gas pedal.

-----------------------------

Misao eased her M3 to a stop as the streets crowded with people, pulling out the key as she got out.  She was immediately greeted by her long time best friend, Sanosuke Sagara.

"Oi!  Hey Weasel, what's up?" he said, his voice unsurprisingly carrying over the crowd of people and the general noise or revving engines and people chattering.

"Hey, Sano.  Not much, the usual," Misao said, checking out the crowd as she locked her car and took her familiar spot—leaning on the car hood—and turned to Sanosuke, who was dressed in slightly saggy blue jeans and a white button up shirt that gaped wide open, exposing his tan chest.  "So, whatcha doin here tonight?  Does the Fox know?"  Misao shot Sanosuke a playful grin and threw back her head, laughing.

Sano chuckled, his laugh a deep baritone.  "Of course not.  You know she doesn't like me gambling, but you can't teach an old dog new tricks.  And besides, I need some extra cash…" Sano replied, looking around as well, getting an uneasy premonition.

Suddenly, both could feel the rhythmic pounding of trance, the palpitating beat coming from a black car that looked so familiar…

"Che, look at him, actin' like he's so cool.  Whatever."  Sano scoffed at the black Skyline that pulled up a little down the street.  

"Who is that?" Misao asked offhandedly.

"Why?  You interested?"  Sano leered at Misao and laughed again.  "From what I hear, he's a major asshole."

"I'm not interested… I was just wondering."  Misao glared at Sanosuke and watched as the black door opened and _he_ stepped out.

A/N: Ok, everyone, I am SO sorry.  I was really busy since for the past few of months, but now school is out!  Please forgive me, but I hope you all liked this chapter!  It's a lot longer than what I usually like to write.  I didn't really expect to introduce any other RK characters, and I don't think I will introduce anymore, because I don't generally like to…  Haha, sorry.   But anyways, I will try to get out more chapters sooner!

Thanks to **ThiMonkey** (I'm glad you like the exclamation point…)**,** **sTrAwBeRrY **(thanks for the long review and ideas, I'll keep them in mind)**, Crystel** (thanks for the luck… I'm gonna need it! )**,** **Namiko-Daughter of Sekhmet,** **Dana Daidouji** (I'm glad you liked the chapter and I'll try to update soon!)**, Misao Mei Mei** (hmm… maybe some matchmaking and some drama…)**, kitty-jinxx, Airen2, yume no naka, animelover12344, sonia, mistress-eos14, myREEN n' RAAYneer, Ken no Kakera, SoT'n'Kenshin, materiathief06, Engel Star 13, Terri, azngirl,** and **Lilmiss2wild.**

Thank you again and please review!****


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